7D highlight blinkies

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>On the LCD screen, the 7D has a highlight alert. It blinks when it detects overexposure.</p>

<p>Does it blink when it detects one channel being overexposed, or does it blink when you reach solid white? Does this vary from camera to camera?</p>

<p>I think it's the former because I get a lot of blinking with my 7D when I photograph snow. Ideally one would have a menu option choosing between the two, or have different blinkies for partial and total clipping.</p>

[john_a5]

<p>I am not sure that I know what determines the blinking on a per channel basis or overall, but it's intent is to let you know that clipping (white) is likely in those areas. But the determination is based on the "picture style" setting you have within the camera, not the raw file itself (this is even if you aren't shooting jpeg, it is based on a jpeg in that setting). You can learn to read the LCD and how this feature affects the image pretty effectively and with the histogram(also based on the same setting) determine where you really are as to loss of detail. (Note: there are times that is still detail but no color in the highlights, this is also something to learn the characteristics of)</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>It blinks on one channel blown in the review jpeg, not the RAW, if you are shooting RAW.</p>

<p>It is easy to confirm this in the channels histograms mode in review.</p>

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>Aha. Thanks John and Scott.</p>

<p>So it's dependent on white-balance. WB is used to create the jpeg; I don't bother messing with WB until I develop my photos from raw. This explains why I get blinkies shooting snow when the auto-WB is out in left field.</p>

[phule]

<p>Arie, Picture Style is not White Balance. They are two different functions. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html">http://www.canon.co.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html</a></p>

 

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>Right. Picture style would have things in it like contrast and saturation - which can push pixel values over the edge. Incorrect WB can also result in channel clipping.</p>

<p>I'll try setting a neutral picture style (even though I shoot RAW only) and I'll see what happens.</p>

 

[john_a5]

<p>Oddly, I saw more clipping(based on the blinkies) set on natural than I did set on Landscape--that made no sense to me, but I shot the same shot on the two settings. You have to find a setting that suits you and learn to read the results--it is just a matter of learning your equipment's characteristics.</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>Arie,</p>

<p>Yes I tested all the picture modes a good time ago and I now use Neutral with all options to 0 for the sole reason of getting more accurate histogram indicators. I also only shoot RAW.</p>

<p>Again this is very easy to test, just set up the camera on the tripod, take pictures in all camera styles then review through the histograms, it is amazing the difference the picture styles make.</p>

[paddler4]

<p>Given what is written here http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/right-hista.shtml I use a user-defined style that starts with neutral but also sets contrast at the minimum. For some reason--I forget where I read about this--I also set saturation down two levels. Then set the display to show the histogram for each channel separately.</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Arie - like Scott my cameras are set to neutral and 0 and I also always shoot RAW (the exception is ski racing with my 7D or 1DIIN where I shoot JPEG as I end up with lots of shots and usually need the burst depth). When I am in the blinkies region I will usually bracket my shots. If I find that the blinkies are confined to very small areas in my shots - especially if a +2/3 -2/3 bracket shows a significant difference in the blinkies across the bracket then I usually find that the RAW image is fine.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>I'm virtually certain that it blinks when the overall average luminosity exceeds the threshold. (At least assuming that it functions that same as on my other previous and current Canon DSLRs.) </p>

<p>One indication that this is the case is that you can blow out a single channel, even in raw mode, without activiting the "blinkies," for example with intensely colored flowers or sunset colors.</p>

<p>It is a good idea to also have the RGB (three colors) histogram display active as well since it does give separate readouts by color channel. And, to be on the same side, if you have a subject with very intense color I would err on the side of slight underexposure.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[mark_gerard_haley]

<p>If you shoot RAW have a look at useing Uniwhite balance it will take all the guessing out of useing your historgram display when shooting in RAW.<br>

Here´s a link to get started <a href="http://www.guillermoluijk.com/tutorial/uniwb/index_en.htm">http://www.guillermoluijk.com/tutorial/uniwb/index_en.htm</a><br>

Mark</p>